


All These Moments

by permanentrose



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-04-12 04:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4464737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/permanentrose/pseuds/permanentrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane and Maura meet unexpectedly and strike up a rather fast and passionate romance. But falling in love is never as simple as it seems, especially when the complexities of both Jane and Maura's lives come to light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So I've already started posting this on fanfiction, but since I'm dipping my feet into the ao3 world, I thought I'd post this here as well.

"I can never decide if they're worth buying or not."

Maura is startled, slightly, because she's hardly had any sort of interaction for hours. She's worked herself into somewhat of daze, tucked deeply away into her own mind. She's surprised to be tugged away, as she mindlessly combs through a stack of neck pillows she has no intention of purchasing.

"On my last flight," the woman continues, "I fell asleep against the window at a weird angle and woke up with a throbbing neck." She rubs it now, as if remembering it is still tender. "Started thinking, what the hell, maybe I should invest in one." Her voice is a deep, lovely tenor. Maura recognizes her; she noticed her ordering coffee at Mocha Madness several hours before, her lean frame propped up against the countertop as she ran a hand through her tangled mess of curls, fiery with impatience. Maura had looked for too long.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologizes when Maura doesn't answer. "It wasn't my intention to harass you while you're shopping. My flight's just gotten delayed twice now, and I'm going a bit stir-crazy."

"Mine as well." Maura's voice is flat in comparison, an insubstantial wisp.

"Hmm?" The woman touches a copy of  _People_  magazine, curious about the latest Kardashian gossip or something of the sort for a fraction of a second. She turns back to Maura, a small smile on her lips.

"My flight has been delayed several times as well." Maura answers, more confidently now. "Crazy weather," she comments quickly. A tropical storm of some sorts has had them laid up for several hours now.

"Seriously, though. Where are you headed?" Her interest surprises Maura. She isn't accustomed to polite interactions with strangers amounting to much of anything.

"Boston," she answers.

"No shit. Me too! What are the odds? I mean, I know we're in an airport and all, but the fact that we're waiting for the same flight…I'm rambling. Sorry about that. I'm Jane, by the way." She grins, effortlessly.

"I'm Maura. It's nice to meet you, Jane." She turns, extending her free hand.

Jane's palm is rough, decorated with a fleshy scar, but it leaves Maura feeling warm. "Great to meet you, too. Honestly, I was about to die from boredom."

"It is very unlikely to die of boredom," Maura comments, and realizes almost immediately that Jane has used that pesky little thing called sarcasm. She's a little pink, but she continues. "Well, I doubt you can die directly from boredom, but there have been studies that show that people who are chronically bored are at a higher risk for heart complications."

"No kidding," she chews on this information for a moment. They've retired the neck pillows, and there's hardly anything left of interest to explore in the tiny shop. "So, Maura," Jane continues (Maura loves it immediately when she says her name), "what are you plans for the evening, as we wait in bated anticipation for our updated flight information?"

Maura can't settle on her angle; she's flattering herself to suspect sincere interest. After all, beyond a pretty face and a brain teeming with more information than most people would care to ever know, she finds she has little to offer in the companionship department. "Dinner, I suppose. I have yet to eat."

"Would it be too forward of me to ask you to dinner? I've been craving Chinese food all day, and there's that place over in the food court. I mean, if that's okay with you. I'll eat almost anything if I'm being honest, so I'm good if you pick. Assuming you even agree to eat with me." She pauses to catch her breath. She's nervous. She's nervous, and Maura marvels at the fact as soon as she processes it. It settles her own stomach just a bit.

"No, Chinese sounds fantastic. And yes, obviously, I'd love to dine with you." There is a warmth welling in her chest.

"There it is," Jane chuckles.

Maura's brow knits, worried and slightly panicked. "There's what?"

"Your smile. I've been waiting for it."

Maura chews on her lip. She feels her grin spread wider. "Are you ready to go eat?"

* * *

"Oh, this? It's from my kid." Jane reaches for the pink yarn around her neck, adorned with painted macaroni. "She'd be heartbroken if I took it off. " She laughs a little, touches a piece of penne.

Maura smiles, her lips around her straw, before nudging a piece of chicken with the nose of her chopstick. They're in the food court dining area, an array of cheap, yet satisfying dishes surrounding them. It's hardly quiet or private as the hum of the hectic airport buzzes around them, yet there's still something strangely intimate about it all.

"What's her name?"

"Alexis. Lexi, I usually call her. Little spitfire. Three-years-old. I have a picture, if you want to see." She reaches for her phone. "But if I'm talking too much about her, just say so. I promise, I'm not one of  _those_  moms."

"No, I'd like to see." Maura doesn't offer merely out of courtesy. There's something about Jane, something so genuine. She drinks it all in.

Maura takes the phone. Jane's daughter is a tiny little thing, with dark curls, dusky skin, eyes wild with life. "She looks like you."

Jane smiles, taking the phone back, glancing fondly at her phone before tucking it back in her pocket. She waits a moment, for her to mention something about the father, but she doesn't, and her ring finger is enticingly bare. Instead, Jane cracks open her fortune cookie, unraveling the small sheet of paper and brushing the crumbs away.  
_  
"This could be an almost perfect day. Enjoy it."_

* * *

"You can't be very comfortable like that," Maura observes. She glances up from the medical journal smoothed out in her lap.

Jane turns her next, letting out a small grunt. She has situated herself upside down in one of the chairs by the gate, the waxy surface squeaking as she tries to settle into a comfortable position, draping her long legs over the back and resting her neck against her backpack.

"It's better than my ass going numb again," she grumbles. Her agitation is childish and unintentionally endearing. Maura looks back down toward the journal, though she continues to sneak glances as Jane fidgets.

"What are you reading anyway?" Jane has closed her eyes and folded her hands against her stomach. Maura smiles into the back of her hand.

" _The New England Journal of Medicine_."  _Reading_ is a generous term. She can't get past the first paragraph.

"Really?" Jane opens her eyes, craning her neck to find Maura's face. She moves one of her arms to prop up her neck.

"I'm a doctor – a cardiovascular surgeon," she provides helpfully.

"No kidding. Wow. What hospital do you work at?"

Maura tucks her leg up onto the chair, letting the journal slide closed. "Massachusetts General."

"I work at the BPD – so not far from you," Jane answers. There's an excitement, buzzing between the two of them, as fate seems to continually sanction their unexpected connection.

"So I should be addressing you as Officer Jane then?" It's flirtier than she meant it to sound; perhaps too flirty.

Jane doesn't seem to mind. She pulls herself up (Maura watches her biceps contract and then needs to look away rather quickly), and readjusts herself in her chair, looking a bit bashful. "Detective, actually. Detective Rizzoli."

"Now I'm impressed," Maura answers.

Jane shrugs, immediately modest. "So why are you in Charleston, Dr. Isles?"

She opens her mouth to answer her, when it suddenly dawns on her. "How do you know my last name?" She can't recall using it in her introduction.

Jane laughs, obviously quite proud of herself. "It says it, right there on the address of your magazine subscription –

"Journal." Maura inserts quietly.

"-and, I noticed it on your credit card when you tried to pay for dinner." Futile attempt. Jane had swooped in immediately and purchased the entire meal for the two.

Maura continues to look flustered.

"Detective, remember?" Jane reminds her. "And you have yet to answer my question."

She settles back into her chair. "Layover. I was at a medical conference in Chicago. And you?"

"Visiting my brother Tommy. He just graduated from the Marine Corps Bootcamp. I was the only one in my family who managed to get off work, so I figured I'd come see the little fucker." Maura's eyebrow twitches in surprise at the casual use of the vulgarity. "Long story, about Tommy. We love him even though he's made very many poor life choices. The Marines is probably one of the only mature decisions he's made, actually. He -"

She's interrupted as the intercom buzzes to life. "Due to severe weather conditions, we will not be servicing anymore flights out of Charleston tonight. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please go to the desk at your gate, and we will gladly help book a seat for you on the next available flight to your destination. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience."

"Shit, are they serious?" Jane groans, slumping into her chair in quite an exasperated manner.

Maura inhales deeply, though her disappointment wanes quickly. After all, she doesn't have anyone waiting at home. She rises from her seat, trying not to smile at the disgruntled heap that Jane has become, her dramatics quite amusing. "Are you coming or not?" She offers Jane her hand.

Jane takes it, grasping it as she heaves herself up. "I suppose so." The scar once again presses into Maura's palm, but this time she's expecting it, and there's something lovely and familiar about it now. "After all, we've already stuck together this long."


	2. Chapter 2

"Is this weird?" Jane digs a toothbrush out of her backpack.

Maura looks up from her own tote, swallowing audibly. It was her idea, after all, to get a hotel room together at the Marriott next to the airport. Jane had been more than content (well, in a grumbly, vocal sort of way) to curl up on the airport floor, using her backpack as a makeshift pillow.

"It doesn't have to be," Maura meekly offers. But there is a brief moment of tension, a small nagging in the back of her mind that reminds her that they hardly know each other. The connection between the two has been nothing short of sincere, though they're crossing lines at an alarmingly rapid rate.

"Yeah, you're right," Jane concedes. She pulls a t-shirt out of her bag. "I just want to make sure I'm not putting you out."

"There are two beds," Maura reminds her, a feature that both had noted rather quickly.

"Thank you. I really wasn't looking forward to a night spent on the floor." Her smile settles Maura's stomach. Jane steps into the bathroom. "I'll be right back."

Maura has packed nothing remotely useful. Her checked bag is stowed somewhere at the airport, with promises that it will be safely delivered to her final destination. She adjusts her skirt now, a slim salmon colored pencil skirt, paired with a button up blouse, and feels properly anxious about their sleeping arrangements for the first time. She kicks off her heels, in the very least, letting her toes rest against the carpet.

Jane emerges from the bathroom shortly, clad in a pair of shorts and an off-white tank, her phone tucked between her neck and her should as she stuffs her clothes into her backpack. "Yeah, Ma, I'll let you know when we're boarding. Nine tomorrow is the earliest flight to Boston - I already checked." A pause. "Yeah, um, I got a hotel room actually." She glances up at Maura. "It was cheap, okay, I promise? I gotta go…give Lex a kiss for me."

She sighs, plopping down on the bed on the far side of the room. "Sorry about that. Bathroom's all yours."

"I, well…I actually don't have anything to change into. I even packed my toothbrush in my checked bag. I didn't expect to be held up for the night – a lesson well learned, I suppose." She sits down on the other bed.

"I just got lucky – since I was only gone for the weekend, I just shoved all my stuff into here. No great disaster preparation skills here." She digs around in her bag for a moment. "I have an extra t-shirt if you want. That outfit - while very stylish - looks like it'd be miserable to sleep in."

Maura catches the shirt as Jane tosses it. She holds it in her lap, the fabric soft and worn. "Thank you."

"No problem." Jane brings her hand up to her hair, running it through the tangled mess. "Damn, I'm stuck." She tries futilely to extract a stray curl from a piece of penne.

"Here, I can help." Maura rises from the bed, watching Jane wrestle with the macaroni necklace. She sits beside her, asking tentatively. "May I?"

Jane nods her consent, and Maura's fingers work gently, trying not to tug too roughly at Jane's hair.

"I know, wearing this necklace is completely ridiculous," Jane chuckles feebly, as Maura's fingers dance across the skin of her neck. They're close enough to hear the rapid fluttering of their erratic hearts.

"I think it's sweet." Her breath bounces off of Jane's cheek and back to her own. For a moment, her fingers feel useless. "There." She pries it away, letting it coil into Jane's hand, her finger tips touching Jane's palm momentarily. Briefly, she considers asking her about the scars, but Jane quickly closes her fingers around the necklace.

"Thanks." They're unbearably close, though neither moves right away. But then, it's mutual, deliberate, as they incline toward one another, an altogether fluid movement.

Jane's lips are soft, but they unravel every last one of Maura's nerve endings.

"Wait," Maura mumbles, her lips knocking against Jane's chin as she turns away. "I noticed you're not wearing a wedding band."

Another kiss. "You noticed correctly."

"But I didn't want to assume anything." This time, her words are muffled against Jane's mouth.

"Assuming can be very dangerous," Jane agrees. She brings a hand up behind Maura's back, pressing against the curvature of Maura's spine. Maura falls clumsily against the headboard.

"Jane," she manages through a mouthful of tongue. A bit louder then, "Jane!"

"What?" Jane laughs. She is straddling Maura's lap now, small black shorts riding up a pair of impossibly gorgeous thighs. She has very quickly and sneakily assumed this position, shifting her body in the slightest of ways so that it has all quite naturally happened. "Oh," her face softens a bit, processing Maura's concern. "I promise that Lexi's father is very far out of the picture. There is no one even remotely close to the picture," she adds for deliberate reassurance. "Can I kiss you now?" She is so unintentionally charming.

Maura exhales heavily, finding Jane's lips again. She is able to concentrate much better on Jane's hands now, which have wandered rather close to her thighs. There is very little room for thought or breath wasted on words, a mess of tangled limbs, wandering fingers, and eager lips propelling the moment forward with a surprising amount of urgency. Jane reaches for the zipper of her skirt, deftly undoing it, before bunching it down below Maura's knees. But as she reaches to slide her panties away, she pauses abruptly, her eyes searching until they find Maura's. Maura nods, granting her permission. Jane's hands leave her feeling immediately dizzy, and she clamps her eyes shut, gripping the headboard for unexpected support.

Jane suddenly laughs, her lips vibrating against the inside of Maura's knee.

"What's so funny?" Maura loosens her grip on the headboard, letting some of the tension out of her knuckles. Her words bubble out soft and blurry; she's hardly in a state to properly speak.

Jane's nose tickles her skin, kissing Maura all the way up her thigh until she whimpers helplessly. "I was just thinking about that other bed."

* * *

Jane's hair has tiny strands of silver mixed in with her dark curls. Maura notices each one, as she touches her hair, letting it sift slowly through her fingers. She cradles Jane's hips between her thighs, savoring the heat of Jane's breath against her shoulder.

"I guess you didn't need to worry about clothes to sleep in after all," Jane murmurs against her skin. She chuckles lightly, and immediately they're both laughing, because this evening is equal parts absurd and unexpectedly perfect. Their laughter lulls them out of their postcoital daze, and there's a fair amount of kissing once again before they settle back under the sheets, with Maura fit snugly into the curve of Jane's body.

"I could have hardly imagined we'd end up here tonight," Maura mutters, playing with Jane's fingers as they rest against her own stomach.

Jane smiles into her neck. "No. Not exactly what I had in mind, either. But wonderful all the same."

* * *

She wakes to sunlight and warm sheets, though achingly alone. Blearily, she sits up and notices a note propped against the lamp, right next to Lexi's macaroni necklace.

_Hi,_

_Just out for a run. I didn't want to wake you. I'll be back soon.  
_

The next part is scratched out rather badly, though she is just able to make out the words.

 _I just didn't want you to worry._ _I'm writing this as though we are an old married couple or something. Of course you have no reason to worry._

She has signed it simply  _Jane._

She leaves it propped up against the lamp and smiles rather fondly at it, before she notices a small scrap of paper next to it. It's the fortune, from Jane's cookie last night. On the back, she has scribbled her phone number.


	3. Chapter 3

A cup of vanilla greek yogurt, a banana, and a copy of Vogue. Eight years as a surgical attending, and there has hardly been any variance in Maura's lunch break routine. She eats slightly later than the masses, usually claiming the break room for herself. It's always a quiet, mindless time, flipping through fashion magazines and enjoying a moment of indulgence. She's never been lonely. In fact, she can hardly ever remember feeling lonely, despite a largely solitary upbringing. She has always filled her time wisely, with her work, with stimulating hobbies, and just enough social interaction to remind herself that she is perfectly capable.

Eight years, and now the copy of Vogue is all but forgotten, and sometimes she finds herself smiling too hard to properly eat as she hurriedly spills as many messages into her phone as she can manage during her break. Jane is funny and earnest, and it really is rather phenomenal just how much they can communicate without tiring of each other. It has been two weeks, and Maura is the dopey with adoration. For the first time, she has comprehended loneliness (it's ironic, how the presence of someone who matters has finally invoked this, the moments without Jane leaving her with a funny little twinge aching in her stomach) - and subsequently found that she is quite surprised how quickly an iPhone charge dies when she actually has a use for it.

Today, her phone is strangely silent, as she sullenly spoons her yogurt. She feels instantly foolish for feeling so expectant. It is so unlike her to fall victim to the irrationality of emotion. However, the break room door swings open momentarily, and Maura has to blink twice as Jane emerges in front of her.

"Mommy, is that your princess?" A small voice emerges from behind Jane's hair.

Susie Chang, surgical intern, utterly devoted, apologizes profusely as quickly enters behind the pair. "Sorry, Dr. Isles…she claimed to be a good a friend. I didn't…I assumed…"

Maura smiles at the flustered doctor. "It's fine, Dr. Chang. Thank you." Susie nods, taking her leave.

"Is that your princess, Mommy?" Lexi asks again, shimmying down from Jane's back. She holds a rumpled bouquet one hand, splaying petals across the floor as she unintentionally manhandles the thing, and in her other hand, she grasps a fraying, mangled sort of stuffed animal that Maura eventually identifies a giraffe.

Jane's cheeks color. "Yes, she's my princess." She earns a befuddled look from Maura. "Let me explain," she adds quickly, as Lexi ungracefully shoves the bundle of orchids toward Maura. "I well...I wanted to see you. And I thought it would be fun to surprise you, since I know when you go to lunch and all. And it really wasn't that hard to find you - people in this hospital are quite friendly and willing to help you out."

"We have a date on Friday," Maura reminds her, though her mouth is twitching at the corners, suppressing a rather large grin. She takes the bouquet, adjusting the plastic wrappings to allow the smothered orchids to breathe.

"I know. But I had the afternoon off – and I thought it might be nice. I know it's soon for you to be meeting my kid and all, and for her to be meeting you...shit, I'm doing this all wrong. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to be awkward." Jane is miserably flustered.

"I just wasn't expecting to have the title of princess bestowed upon me today." Maura buries her nose in the flowers.

"Yeah, I didn't really know how to go about explaining you to Lexi just yet. I probably shouldn't have. I'm sure there's books, about how you're supposed to do all this…but I did my best. And today Lexi is a princess." She motions toward her daughter, now collecting petals off the floor, and Maura notes her dress. It's cheap polyester gown (a somewhat murky shade of blue, suggesting that it is in need of a good washing) with gauzy sleeves that have done little to hide a series of marker doodles adorning her arms. "So I explained you to her in the way that seemed best - a quest to find my own princess."

"I'm not a princess," Lexi inserts as soon as she can, somewhat indignant. "I'm Queen Elsa," Lexi presses her hand quite suddenly into Maura's and disposes of the petals there.

"Yes, that's right. Queen. Similar concept," Jane mutters.

"Queen Elsa?" Maura asks dubiously.

"Frozen?" Jane prompts helpfully, though Maura politely shakes her head. "Super popular Disney movie? Idina Menzel? Let It Go? No? Alright, fair enough, I'm not positive how much I'd keep up with the latest Disney movies if I didn't have a kid. Anyway, I suppose a proper introduction is in order. Maura, my daughter Lexi. And Lexi -"

"Princess Maura, I know," she huffs out impatiently, earning a stern look from her mother. "And this is Ippy." She thrusts the giraffe toward Maura. One of it's button eyes has been torn from the socket, leaving a rather dismal hole with a fair amount of stuffing seeping near the edges.

She waits expectantly, until Maura realizes that she wants some sort of acknowledgment. "It's nice to meet you, Ippy," Maura manages to address the androgynous thing. Maura is quite certain that she did not anthropomorphize stuffed animals, even at a young age. However, it appeases Lexi, and after shuffling around in Jane's back pocket and producing a sheet of stickers, Lexi scrambles over toward the table and plops herself down on the floor.

Maura watches, with a strange amount of fascination.

"Don't worry, she'll only put them on herself. And Ippy," Jane adds, as Lexi begins tediously pealing the stickers from the sheet. "She's a bit wild, and often headstrong, but she's not unmanageable. She's a good kid."

Maura tucks the stray petals into the pocket of her lab coat. In the cabinets above the sink, she finds a tall glass to house her flowers. "They're lovely."

"What's left of them," Jane laughs. "Hey, I hope the princess thing wasn't too weird. I just...I haven't dated since I had Lexi, and it just seemed like the easiest thing to say. For now, at least."

"It's fine," Maura assures her. "It's endearing, actually."

"Yeah?" Jane nose bunches slightly as she smiles.

"My lunch is almost over," Maura effectively drowns the moment.

"I know. I just wanted to stop by. I like texting you, but I like seeing you much better." Jane is so achingly honest, so genuinely sincere. She's glad that they aren't playing the typical games, skirting around all that is clearly in front of them. "Lex, you ready to go?"

Lexi pops up from the ground, covered in race car stickers. Jane hoists Lexi up onto her back, and Maura notices a small pair of soccer cleats poking out from beneath the hem of her Elsa gown.

"I'll see you on Friday, Jane." Maura is about to see them to the door when Lexi whispers loudly, arms coiled around Jane's neck. "Mommy, you forgot somethin'"

"I did?" Jane finds Maura's eyes, an amused smile darting to her lips. "What did I forget?"

Lexi cups her hands around Jane's left ear, though it does little to stifle her sloppy whisper. "You forgot to kiss your princess."

Maura's stomach sloshes to her throat, and then all the way down to her toes.

"Oh, yeah?" Jane's still smiling, but her voice remains quite serious. "Is that what I'm supposed to do?"

"Yes. It's what you're always supposed to do when you find your princess," she presents it as an indisputable, hard fact.

"Well in that case..." Jane steps up to Maura, taking her hand and brushing her lips against her knuckles. Lexi giggles behind them. Jane finds the corner of her mouth, tickling a brief kiss by the edge of her lip. It leaves Maura's insides useless - there's something so intimate about it, leaving Maura more breathless than she expected.

Lexi smiles triumphantly. "Now you can live happily ever after."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I realized I've hardly talked about where I'm going with this story. And while it is disgustingly fluffy right now (:D), I did categorize it as angst for a reason, so there will definitely be some heavy moments to come. I ended using some commonly explored plot lines in this fic - the small story behind it is that this is very, very vaguely based on a Rizzles dream I had, and I couldn't help but to flesh it out and I become immediately obsessed. It's not going to be terribly long either. I truly hope you're enjoying it.


	4. Chapter 4

"You forgot, didn't you?" There's an ache in her voice she can't hide.

Jane, frazzled and sweaty, had taken far too long to respond to the doorbell, leaving Maura out the front step of Jane's townhouse with an unexpected knot tangling in her gut.

"Fuck! I'm the worst. What time even is it?" Jane glances at her wrist, before remembering she is not wearing a watch. "I didn't forget, I promise. Lexi, she spilled orange juice all over the fridge. She's at that stage where she's trying to prove that she's fiercely independent, and the more you argue with her, the more she argues back. My mom came to pick her up, and I went to clean it up." She pauses, walking into the kitchen. Maura follows. "Maura, there's mold growing in my fridge. Like a lot of fucking mold. I don't know how I haven't noticed until now. I mean, my fridge has needed a cleaning for a long time, but this is bad. I'm embarrassed."

Jane has scattered the entire contents of her fridge across the kitchen – it's a maze of vegetables, lunchmeat, and condiments. On the opposite side of the kitchen, she has rested each shelf precariously up against the pantry.

Maura peeks past Jane into the fridge. "I can help."

"You really don't want to do that," Jane protests. "It's really gross. We can just shove everything back in here, and I'll get back to it later. I can change, and we can get going." She flicks something soggy and green off of her shirt.

"Really, it doesn't bother me," Maura assures her. "I spend my days elbow deep in the human body. You can finish up in the fridge, and I'll start on the shelves." She fishes around in bucket of lukewarm water, mixed with a chemical she immediately recognizes as ammonia, and produces an extra rag.

"Do you have any Q-tips?" Maura inquires after a few moments of silent scrubbing.

Jane's voice echoes from inside of the fridge. "Q-tips?"

"Yes, for the edges of these shelves," Maura elaborates. "There's, well…there's quite a bit of build up in the crevices. I thought perhaps a Q-tip would be useful."

"Just stop." Jane groans, ejecting herself from the fridge. She tosses her rag back into the murky bucket. "This is too much. I have lost every bit of my mystique and charm. I'm supposed to be elusive and sexy for just a little bit longer."

"On the contrary," Maura muses, "I'm enjoying getting to know you better – housekeeping habits and all."

Jane visibly relaxes. "I'll go get the Q-tips."

She doesn't notice when Jane returns, not at first, as she wipes they layer of film from the shelves. She glances up, momentarily startled to find Jane propped against the island countertop, watching Maura in a way that makes her stomach slosh. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're beautiful," she says it with the simple honestly the Maura has grown to love. "Especially in that dress. Which is probably getting filthy. Again, let me reiterate that I am the worst."

"Hardly," Maura counters. "Spending time with you is enjoyable, regardless of the context."

They finish cleaning, the fridge and the shelves looking remarkably bright as Jane inserts them back into the interior. It's the task of sorting through the rather eclectic contents of Jane's fridge that takes time, squinting at expiration dates and (Maura) attempting to create an organizational system.

Maura is shelving condiments when she pauses, turning a small jar around in her palm. "This shouldn't be refrigerated."

"Hmm?" Jane dumps a few apples into the fruit drawer. "What the hell even is that?"

"Marmite."

"Toss it."

"What about these? Do you still need them? They appear to have expired over a year ago." Maura holds up a rather squashed box of suppositories.

"What are they – oh." Her face flushes red immediately. "Oh shit. I, um, I needed those right after my pregnancy with Lexi. Hemorrhoids are bitch. Shit, you know way too much about me now. I'm mortified. Leave now. I'll delete you from my phone if you delete me from yours. We never have to speak again."

"Stop. You're forgetting I'm a doctor."

"Well, you're not my doctor."

"Honestly, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, Jane. The occurrence of hemorr-"

"STOP."

"Okay, going in the trash..." She tosses them quickly in beside the marmite.

Jane shoves the fruit drawer shut, crawling away from the fridge, exhaling loudly as she assumes a supine position on the kitchen floor. She stares up at the ceiling. "I don't know how you don't hate me right now," Jane sighs, closing her eyes.

Maura stops shelving. She scoots up beside Jane, resting a hand against her stomach. "I could hardly hate you. I'm just glad you didn't forget," she admits rather softly.

"Of course not. Not a chance." She opens her eyes, finding Maura's, and they properly pause for the first time since Maura has arrived.

Maura leans in, kissing her softly. Jane lets out a small, satisfied moan. "Come 'ere." She tugs Maura's arm, and she topples rather clumsily on top of Jane.

"Hi there," Maura's voice is breathy, close enough to tickle Jane's skin. She dips her lips in once again, finding Jane's neck. She dots several kisses beneath her jaw, before finding her pulse point and sucking softly.

"Jesus Christ," Jane gasps. She touches Maura's thighs, and dress bunches up around her hips. "Don't stop."

Maura pushes her tongue between her parted lips, tasting Jane's skin, though it's becoming difficult to concentrate on her own mouth as Jane's hands continue to explore, one all the way up to her stomach, and the other disappearing beneath her panties.

"We should…" her voice rumbles against Jane's neck. "We should finish the fridge."

"Un uh," Jane hands have fallen into a rhythmic motion. Maura lets out a small, indistinguishable sound, her lips falling limp against Jane's neck. "The fridge can wait, but I cannot."


	5. Chapter 5

"Jane! This isn't a race!" Maura pants, fire searing through her calves as she propels her body forward. She keeps herself fit and healthy, but never in a way that presents itself as particularly challenging. Jane, however, has stirred her competitive nature.

"If it's not a race, then why are you trying so hard to catch me?" Jane sprints ahead, all brawn and muscle. She glistens, bathed in morning sunlight as her feet skim the park path.

Maura's body burns, her own muscles screaming as she attempts to match Jane's speed. "I can't...you're...you're too fast," Maura gasps, wheezing slightly as she slows her footing. It's not a graceful movement, leaving her stumbling for the support of a nearby tree. Her stomach flops uncomfortably as she manages her breathing.

"Sorry. I take the daily morning run to a new level." Jane wheels back around, quite elegantly steering herself to a stop. She catches her breath, hands on hips, bending slightly at the waist as she evens her heart rate.

Maura coughs a few more times, willing her lungs to function normally. "You certainly do."

They had woken early to sunlight, bare skin, tangled sheets, and soft kisses. "No Lexi this morning," Jane had gleefully reminded both Maura and even more so herself. The kisses had become significantly less gentle, and Maura crouched over Jane's thigh, a low rumble of need humming mutually in their throats. They were left vibrating with energy, thus fueling the proposition for a morning jog.

"You were misleading with your terminology," Maura continues. "When I think of a jog, it evokes the idea of a more leisurely workout."

Jane saunters up to her now, easily looking relaxed despite the layer of perspiration dousing her body. She leans up against the trunk, a lazy smile prickling at her lips.

"What are you doing?" Maura watches as Jane brings her free hand to Maura's stomach, tugging playfully at the hem of shirt.

"You look sexy in my shirt."  _Property of Boston Police Department._ She is claimed, and Jane lets her know this is so. Jane straddles the ground in the front of Maura, placing one hand on the trunk next to Maura's ear, and the other right below her shoulder. Maura is immediately dizzy as Jane inclines her face toward her lips, the smell of sweat raw and fresh. There isn't a part of this woman she isn't attracted to.

"Jane," she breathes the word, inhaling too deeply. Her fragile knees nearly give out. Jane's lips hover above her damp neck before settling on a particularly arousing spot behind her earlobe. Maura rocks her hips, slow and primal, before she remembers quite jarringly where they are.

Her eyes fly open, and she lets out a tiny gasp.

"What is it?" Jane pulls aways suddenly, tucking a sweaty ringlet behind her ear.

"We're at the park, Jane. And I'm pretty sure that lady just gave us a dirty look..."

Jane huffs. "God, it's like being in high school again..."

"Oh, really?" Maura ducks under Jane's arms, freeing herself from her temporary prison. "Do share your wild lesbian tales..."

"Oh, I meant it more in the broad sense of the phrase," Jane blushes hard. "I didn't date any girls in high school, actually mostly because of all the dirty looks the lesbians got... Just pined after one girl in particular, but ended up dating this dweeb of a guy instead. What about you though?"

"I went to an all-girls French boarding school. Our displays of affection were always more subtle or strictly private," Maura says rather coyly.

"Ooh la la." Jane raises her eyebrow impressively high. She is mostly intrigued, Maura decides, and perhaps just a tiny bit jealous.

"But those are stories best left for another day," Maura promises with a reassuring peck to Jane's lips.

"Race you back," Jane is even more eager now to show off her talent and assets. She lunges, flaunting the sheer magnificence of her legs.

"I don't believe I can muster that sort of energy," Maura admits, her own body just barely recovered from the last bout of expended energy. She touches her stomach, still a bit queasy.

"Are you okay?" Jane's face softens, pulling her body upright. She shuffles back over to Maura.

"Just a tiny bit nauseous," Maura admits. "I'm sure it's merely because I'm not used to this kind of exertion." There is a tiny twinge of panic hovering menacingly in the back of Maura's mind, but she buries it quickly.

"I didn't mean to push you," Jane's tone is remorseful. She touches the small of Maura's back as they walk back toward Jane's townhouse.

"I've been feeling a bit off all week," Maura admits slowly. "So I'm sure this has less to do with our run than you think."

They arrive shortly, an energy still buzzing between them. Maura looks at the spot on the kitchen floor in front of the fridge, feeling immediately hot as she expects to find a branding mark there. Jane follows her gaze, a hand brushing against Maura's hip, letting her know that she would be all to glad to christen a multitude of other spots in her home. The thought is momentarily thrilling - Jane leaves her satisfied so briefly, yet so thoroughly, that she finds herself at a near constant ache for her to fill her.

"When will Lexi be home?" Maura squeaks out, because Jane's hands have already worked themselves into the elastic of Maura's pants.

"My mom will probably be here with her in less than an hour," Jane speaks against her temple.

"I should go," Maura shifts, and Jane's hand slips out of her waistband. "You need a shower, and I don't think this is the best circumstance for me to be meeting your mother. And I know Lexi is very aware of me, but I'm not sure if it's quite time for her to be coming home to me."

Jane lets out a frustrated noise, but she doesn't argue. She kisses Maura a few more times before grumbling playfully, "Get out of here."

"What about your clothes?" Maura inquires, looking down at her shirt.

"Just give them back to me next time you see me," Jane smiles, walking her to the door.

There's a certain security in her words, an unspoken promise that leaves Maura pondering how she has accidentally stumbled upon something so wonderful.

* * *

"Oh! Susie! Sorry - I was just leaving." Maura jumps, nearly dropping the box in her grasp.

Susie steps over the threshold of the supply closet, finding Maura's face in the flickering glow of the fluorescent light. Maura touches her cheek, the pads of her fingers brushing against the damp skin, certain her recent tears are still rather obvious. There are dates she is trying to remember, dates she is attempting to line up, all with unfavorable results and a feeling of sickening dread. There are dates and signs and consequences she has deliberately been ignoring, stuck happily in a haze of bliss and unexpected perfection.

She steps behind Susie, giving her access to the small space. "Did you need something from in here, Dr. Isles?" Her voice is laced with concern.

"I, um..." Maura voice is lost in a moment of uncertainty. She looks down at the box in her grasp - generic, cardboard, but marked with a clearly printed label. Susie follows her eyes, and Maura knows she can read the plain font.

_Pregnancy Test._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: JUST TRUST ME OKAY.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As I've said, this story is based on a dream I had. I had the dream a while back now, so I don't remember the specifics anymore, but it was basically that Jane and Maura were pregnant at the same time (separately, not as a couple), and Jane had another older daughter (who became Lexi when this fleshed out into an idea). It was like a weird mixture of Rizzles and Sasha/Angie. I started forming this storyline to try to fit the basic principal of the dream - I nixed the idea of having them pregnant at the same time and just created Lexi for Jane, but I played around with the idea of Maura being pregnant in countless ways. By the time I started writing the story, I wasn't sure I was 100% committed to Maura being pregnant or not, which is why there really wasn't any hint toward it until this past chapter, but I'm 100% in now (because honestly the whole plot and conflict work better with it), and I can guarantee that it is not going to pan out like a typical pregnancy fic. I just wanted to explain that in the very least to you, because I'm not a huge fan of overusing the pregnancy trope, but because of the inspiration for this fic, I challenged myself to mold the idea into a feasible fic. That being said, the story will be considerably more angsty from here on out. You have been warned.

Maura Isles is not an anxious person. That is not to say she has not experienced situations that heighten her nerves, but they are few and often easily managed. However, these past few days have left her with an anxiety that is persistent, a weighty knot wedged in her gut, mercilessly tanged. It seems now she cannot have a moment with any relief, a moment without her nerves prickling the lining her esophagus, without panic and trepidation swirling nauseatingly in her stomach.

She stands by Jane's door, tasting a fresh wave of anxiety welling in her throat, sour and acidic. It has only been two days since she has confirmed the results. Two days, consumed with worry, and she finds that she is more fearful of telling Jane about her condition than she is of the condition itself. She has planned the whole conversation in her mind, and even considered various responses on Jane's part, hoping and hoping that the young fragility of their relationship won't go crumbling to pieces as a result. The words are all scripted, precisely chosen, though she is not sure at all about when they will fit seamlessly into any sort of conversation. She looks up at the door, the unfamiliar weight of the anxiety making her feel unusually small and vulnerable.

She knocks softly and then hears the door click open, though it takes a bit of force to get it to unstick from the frame.

"Oh. Lexi. Hello." She smiles down at the small girl, and Lexi looks back up her, brow knitted with a hard stare. She is dressed in a large gray t-shirt that swoops down to her ankles, printed with faded lettering that reads  _St. Dominic Vikings._ Maura skims her tongue against her lips, the anxiety now thick enough for her to swallow, as Lexi keeps her dark eyes fixed on Maura.

"Lexi! Maura! Sorry." Jane swoops in just in time, scooping her daughter up into her arms. Lexi makes a unhappy noise, like a low growl of a small, disgruntled lion. "Sorry about the little monster -"

"I AM NOT A MONSTER." Lexi roars, well, quite monstrously.

"No nap today," Jane continues. "The Queen Elsa gown got a grape juice stain so it is in the wash. All together traumatic and all together terrible, right Lex? She was supposed to be asleep when you got here." Lexi grumbles again, but has now settled her head into the crook of Jane's neck. "Alright, how's this? We'll go for a car ride for a little and forget the whole going to bed, okay?" Lexi nods enthusiastically into her mother's neck. "Okay then, go an get Ippy." Lexi slides down Jane's front, letting her feet hit the floor with a small thud.

"Terrible parenting, I am aware," Jane sighs, loud and long. "But she always falls asleep in the car, without fail. It is my best trick and greatest weapon, so even though she doesn't learn a lesson, I still win."

"As long as you're victorious in the end, I suppose," Maura mutters, not really all quite there. She considers this small moment of pause and the words she has so carefully crafted, but she knows it is too brief, and even if she could manage to get her her confession past her tongue, she doesn't want to do it front of Lexi. The gravity of it all is too much to say in hushed whispers, just past the reception of a child's listening frequency.

Lexi bounds back into the room with the mangled giraffe thing only moments later, her face beaming with victory. "Is Princess Maura going to come?" She addresses Maura with the kindness she would've expected to be greeted with earlier.

"Well, that is entirely up to Maura. We won't be long, if she'd prefer to make herself at home here." Jane lifts Lexi back into her arms, though she keeps her gaze on Maura the entire time, her eyes both apologetic and reassuring.

"I'll come," Maura decides. "A drive sounds relaxing." She desperately hopes her stomach will settle.

Jane straps Lexi into her seat in the back, and Maura joins her in the front. The car is a bit cluttered, and it smells like Cheerios, but it is not unpleasant. Jane flicks the radio on, and it hums out a mellow classical number. "I've got this down to a science," Jane informs her, rather proud. She adjusts the volume, just loud enough that Lexi's eyes have already become glassy, lulled by the soothing rhythm.

"Where are we going?" Maura finally asks, as Jane drives out near the city limits. In the rearview mirror, she watches Lexi's head bob down, her neck soft and pliable as she begins to doze.

"You'll see," Jane smiles, easy and effortless. It has been a frenzy of motion since Maura has arrived, not even enough time for Jane to look at her properly, because she's sure there must be some sort of a physical manifestation of her discomfort. They drive for longer than Maura expects, but she doesn't say another word, very aware of the stubborn child fighting slumber behind her.

At last Lexi falls asleep, her neck curled into the side of her booster seat. Maura has been watching, waiting for those tiny little eyes to fuse shut and remain so. Now that they are, she looks at Jane, who is humming along to the radio softly, and wonders if now might be an ideal time. She opens her mouth, flexes her throat, forgetting where she has meant to begin. But she doesn't have a chance, because Jane stops the car, so suddenly that Maura realizes that has not been watching to see where they have arrived. It takes her a moment to adjust her eyes to the darkness, to make out the details of their destination without the usual glow of the city. It is fairly remote, at least in comparison to the city. Jane cracks the windows, taking a peak back at Lexi, before silencing the engine and motioning for Maura to follow her.

"There's a lake near here. My Pops used to take me and my brothers fishing out here when we were younger," Jane explains. She leans up against the front bumper of her car, smiling radiantly in the moonlight. It's too cloudy to see the stars, but it's still a pleasant night. Maura steps up beside her, letting her arm brush against Jane's. She doesn't try to speak, because right now she knows for certain that it isn't the proper time. Instead, she lets her cheek fall against Jane's shoulder.

"Hi there," Jane speaks into her hair, her lips gentle and soothing. Maura feels the knot begin to uncoil, even if just slightly.

"Hi," Maura murmurs back. She tucks her hand into Jane's, her palm pressed up against the fleshy scar. She touches it gently, moving her thumb against the length of it, back and forth, back and forth.

"It's a long story," Jane breathes out, though Maura hasn't asked. Maura continues to bravely stroke it, unintentionally coaxing the story from Jane. "It was a little over five years ago now." She looks at the hand that is not tangled in Maura's fingers. "I don't know if you remember Charles Hoyt. I honestly can't even remember how much of that stuff was publicized. I'm shit at telling stories," she laughs a little, but it's lacking any substance. "Anyway, Charles Hoyt committed a series of murders that left all of us at the station baffled and frustrated, especially because he always made a game out of it all. He always liked being just one step away from being caught - gave him some sort of thrill to have us so close." She pauses, inhaling a breath, and Maura grips her hand more tightly. "I ended up following a lead with my partner, to an abandoned warehouse near the docks, and Hoyt was there, just waiting for us." Her voice goes a bit high, and she needs a couple of minutes to recover. Maura keeps her cheek up against Jane's shoulder, hardly able to breath. "It's an awful gruesome story, the next parts, and even if you did want to hear them I don't really want to talk about it. Just that it ended with him pining me to the ground with two scalpels dug straight through my palms."

Maura winces as the scar presses flush against her palm. She doesn't know what to say. There aren't words for moments like these. She presses her lips to Jane's shoulder, holding them there longer than the length of a kiss, breathing a sigh of reassurance against her skin, soft and slow.

"Stuff like that makes you think about the things in your life, you know?" Jane continues. "I realized I didn't want to be alone anymore, that I wanted more than my job. But you know how romance can go." Here, she forces another weak laugh. "And I just didn't want to wait around for something perfect to maybe happen, so I decided that a baby would do." Maura jerks her head up, a bit too quickly. She has had her speculations, her curiosities about Lexi's origins, but tact has kept her from discovering it now. "I don't tell many people this, because I feel like it always raises so many questions and unwanted comments. I have been wanting to tell you, but the details of your in vitro fertilization pregnancy are not things that lend well to casual conversation." She looks at Maura now, not quite for approval, but for some level of acceptance. Maura touches her hand again, hoping the gesture will do. "I hope that wasn't too much. Sorry if you didn't want to know any of that just yet. It's just, you mean a lot to me, you know? And I want to be able to share all this stuff with you."

"Of course not," Maura's voice is suddenly hollow. "I want to us to be able to share these sorts of things with each other."

It's the perfect segue, but she can't seem to make herself take it, because this is Jane's moment, and not hers.


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you home?" Jane's voice is wild, panicked.

The wind whips furiously around Maura's skirt as she balances her phone between her chin and shoulder, bracing herself against the sheets of rain as she unlocks the front door. "Just getting home," she answers, ducking into the doorway. She falls back against the back of the door, her knees sore from hours spent standing at the operating table this morning. Her body aches more than usual these days, sensitive in unfamiliar ways, reminding her of the decisions she needs to make.

She hasn't heard from Jane in two days. Jane's working on a tough case, leaving her more distracted than usual. Maura knows she's living on borrowed time, but she takes the sudden distance with a breath of gratitude, waiting for an ideal moment rather than creating one for herself.

Jane barrels forward rather quickly, her words rapid and the pitch of her voice rising, saturated in fear. "I need you to get my kid."

"What?" Maura clenches her fingers around her phone, her knees quaking beneath her. Her stomach feels hollow and her breath catches in her throat. The unexpectedness of the request leaves her unsettled.

"Listen, I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't an emergency." Jane's words are a simple, desperate plea. She needs Maura now, in a way she never has before. The trust and responsibility weighs on Maura, causing her stomach to twist in immediate discomfort. "This storm is crazy. I'm stuck out here by the station, and traffic's bad. There was a really bad accident or something, and I was supposed to get Lexi fifteen minutes ago. I already asked my mom, but she's holed up in traffic across town. It's that Bright Horizon's daycare center – literally a five minute walk from your place. I'm so sorry…I just-"

"I'll go." Maura finds her voice as Jane fumbles with hers. "It's fine. Truly. Will I just be able to walk in there and pick up your daughter? Isn't there some sort of protocol?"

"I've already called to let them to you were coming…" Instead of guilt, her words flood through the phone with a sense of relief.

"I'll go get her then." Maura locks her knees, steadying her legs as she pushes herself away from the door.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's the first door on the right after you enter the building. I'll come by your place as soon as I can," Jane spills into the phone. Maura hunts for an umbrella in the coat closet by the front door, slinging her raincoat over her arm as well for good measure. "And Maura - " Jane adds. Maura presses the phone more tightly to her ear. "I've missed you this week."

XXX

Her umbrella has become a makeshift shield as she battles the downpour, carefully angling it to obtain the best amount of coverage she can manage. A five minute walk becomes ten, before she wrangles open the door to the daycare, shaking the excess water out from her umbrella. She finds the classroom door, tentatively prying it open. She's greeted by the waxy smell crayons and fresh, biting scent of Lysol wipes. She feels immediately out of place as she steps in amongst the miniature furniture.

"Hello," she speaks, smoothing her damp hair away from her face.

"Hi there," a young woman greets her, her voice high and unnecessarily enthusiastic. She has a plain face, and her mouth is too big when she smiles. Maura struggles to match the grin, her own mouth twitching uneasily at the corners. "I'm Miss Lindsey. You must be here for Lexi."

Despite the dire weather conditions, Lexi appears to be the only child left. She sits on a sagging beanbag chair behind the teacher, her scraggly giraffe pressed up against her cheek and her thumb planted firmly in her mouth. She's wearing a pair of dinosaur pajamas and two different shoes, one a delicate silver ballet flat and the other a scuffed up tennis shoe with fraying velcro and a cartoon character Maura doesn't recognize faded on the edges. She eyes Maura warily.

"Hello Lexi." Maura lifts her hand in a tentative wave. She keeps her fragile smile painted on her face the best she can.

Lexi narrows her gaze, her thumb still planted in her mouth.

"Honey, your mommy's friend is here to get you," Miss Lindsey tries, crouching down beside her. She's all curves and rosy cheeks, her voice drenched in soothing concern.

Lexi pulls her wet thumb out of her mouth. "I want Mommy."

"I know you do, sweetie," the woman croons softly. She touches Lexi's arm, finding the small girl's eyes. "Your mommy's friend is going to take you right to her."

"I don't want to," Lexi insists. Her face remains defiant, but her words waver. She rubs her cheek against the stuffed giraffe, sitting firmly in the beanbag. The teacher looks toward Maura, wordlessly coaxing her into the conversation, silently pushing for her to find the right words.

Maura drops to her knees, watching the small child carefully. She doesn't have much experience with children. Beyond her child development courses taken during her undergraduate career, she hardly knows the first thing to expect when interacting with someone so young. She's angry at Jane momentarily, for expecting so much of her. She wants to be annoyed, to react to her initial frustration and coax a reasonable response from Lexi, but even her limited experience with this particular child has let her know that reasoning is a futile battle. She continues to study her face, her hard stare, her lips tugged into a firm line, the muscles in her jaw clenched with unyielding determination, and suddenly, Maura's own face softens as she admires the small girl's bravery.

Maura's knees relax into the ground, and she lets her posterior fall against her calves, relieving the tension in her ankles. "I'm scared, too," Maura tells her quietly. She watches the crease above Lexi's brow smooth ever so slightly. "Storms are frightening. I've never liked them, and they make everything else feel terrifying as well." The unease springs from her own stomach as she speaks. Lexi's eyes widen, exposing a small flash of vulnerability. She lets out a tiny sniff, turning her face into the fur of the giraffe. Maura inhales a breath, frightened of the impending tears, but she continues slowly, "And I don't even have a lovely little giraffe to help me feel brave."

Lexi's eyes are pooling with tears now, but she finds her voice as she pulls the stuffed animal away from her face. "I can share Ippy with you if you want to. He can make you feel better too."

She's astounded, by Lexi's magnanimous response and by her own ability to evoke it. Her stomach stirs, though for once not with fear. Lexi extends the small stuffed animal toward Maura, slowly rising from the beanbag. Maura touches the matted fur, a smile easily finding her lips.

"Goodbye, Lexi." Miss Lindsey waves as the pair steps out the door, Maura's hand clasped over Lexi's smaller one and the giraffe grasped securely between the two of them.

They stop when the reach the edge of the building, the intensity of the storm raging around them with incredible force. The toes of Maura's boots become immediately damp with flecks of stray rain, and she looks at down at Lexi's feet, small and virtually unprotected. In front of them, the sidewalk is ravaged with gaping puddles. "I can carry you if you would like," Maura offers, unhinging her umbrella. The thin fabric ripples as a gust of wind slices through them. Lexi nods, and a feeling of trust courses through the pair as Maura hoists the child up to her waist. Lexi clings to her like a small koala, latching her arms around Maura's neck.

"Everything is going to be okay," Maura speaks to comfort the child, but the words soothe her own ears. Lexi nods again, her head knocking against Maura's chest and the gruff fur of the giraffe rubbing up against the back of Maura's neck.


End file.
